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Grocery delivery and curbside pickup options are in very high demand at the moment. Social distancing protocols have changed the way that we shop, and while many of the major players are already taking certain steps to accommodate these changes, there is one company that has been noticeably absent from the proceedings. Trader Joe’s has not been offering any altered shopping options in lieu of COVID-19 and people want to know why.

The store has finally come forward to offer their reasoning. The Inside Trader Joe’s podcast is lending some insight and delivery and curbside pickup are being avoided for a very good reason. In this company’s mind, these methods do not always generate the desired results. Matt Sloan is Trader Joe’s vice president of marketing and he is offering some background on the decision.

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Sloan says that this process is a “massive undertaking” and that it would take months (if not years) to implement such a system. He went on to say that Trader Joe’s would rather invest this time and energy back into the people. The idea of spending time and money to create an infrastructure that eliminates the need for people is not something that appeals to Sloan.

It’s something that takes months or years to plan, build and implement and it requires tremendous resources. Well, at Trader Joe’s, the reality is that over the last couple of decades we’ve invested those resources in our people rather than build an infrastructure that eliminates the need for people.

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We want to acknowledge all of our incredible Crew Members, who, in spite of challenges & uncertainty, continue to show up and support our communities with their hard work & humanity. Thank you, Crew, for all that you do, now and always. We are deeply grateful & proud. ▫️ #TraderJoes ▫️

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Another Trader Joe’s representative is offering up a similar sentiment. CNN asked the company about the prospect of providing delivery recently and, apparently, Trader Joe’s systems are simply not set up to handle these types of requests. From the looks of it, they are not going to be changing their minds on this topic anytime soon. This is one store that plans on sticking to their guns.

During the aforementioned podcast, it was also explained that Trader Joe’s would be spending more resources on hiring and training additional staffers. Other retailers have been focused on cutting staff so that they can implement the delivery and pickup systems that are becoming so popular. This is something that Trader Joe’s would rather avoid going forward if they can possibly help it.

The company is going to continue to hire more and more crew to see their customers through these difficult times. While there are some who may not agree with their methods, Trader Joe’s is not going to compromise their ethics. When you head to your local Trader Joe’s in search of your favorite products, you will be able to speak with a crew member who is more than happy to help you. That’s the way that it has always been and that’s the way that it should be.

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